Empowering Renewable Energy: Queensland Sugar Industry's Yield Milestone

16 Oct, 2023

Empowering Renewable Energy: Queensland Sugar Industry's Yield Milestone

Queensland Sugar Industry's Genomic Breakthrough Promises Crop Yield and Renewable Energy Boost

Queensland's sugar industry has achieved a significant milestone in its research on improving crop yields through genomic selection, a technological innovation that places it ahead of major players like Brazil and India. This breakthrough offers the potential to enhance sugarcane crop values by 2% annually without the need for additional agricultural land. It is estimated that this could generate an additional $24 million in revenue in the first year of implementation.

The surplus sugarcane will also bolster the raw materials available for biofuel production, offering additional advantages for the growing renewable energy sector. Researchers anticipate that this technology will double the rate of gain for crucial sugarcane traits, opening the door to significant growth in both domestic and international markets.

The development is the culmination of a five-year collaboration between the University of Queensland and Sugar Research Australia (SRA) and is spearheaded by Ben Hayes, the director of the Centre for Animal Science at the Queensland Alliance at Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI).

In addition to increasing crop yields without the need for expanding agricultural land, thus boosting profits for growers, this advancement aligns with the rising renewable energy sector's needs for an expanded supply of raw materials for biofuel production.

According to Mr. McNeill, "Many countries now have restrictions on bringing any new land into agricultural production, and this is the case in tropical regions where cane is grown. Countries, regions, milling companies, and farmers are all looking for ways to

reduce costs or increase yields within increasingly strict environmental guidelines, so it appears this new research can be a very useful additional tool to help achieve this."

The fact that three countries - Brazil, India, and Australia - were conducting this type of research is remarkable, and Queensland's industry and university being the first to prove genomic selection in sugarcane positions it as a global leader in plant breeding, as noted by industry experts.